The Bloody Paths We Lead
by The Writer Of Lucifenia
Summary: How does someone get to a point in their life where they decide to join a group like the Dark Brotherhood? This story goes into the backstories of all of the Dark Brotherhood members in Skyrim. These are obviously just headcannons based off of what little bit of information we do get.


Author's Notes – Hey, y'all. If you've read my shit before, welcome back, if not, welcome. So while working on a project involving my Elder Scrolls oc (one of them), Motley, I was pulling up the wiki for research, and I realized, that there really isn't much official for most characters. This made me kinda sad, because I was hoping to find more information. So this series is going to be my version of the different Dark Brotherhood characters' backstories. Obviously, none of this is canon, it's just what I came up with based on the tiny amount of information given.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Where Red Mountain Flowers Grow

_Where the red mountain flowers grow, _

_No others dare to go._

_For in order for one to flourish, _

_All others must perish._

Cold, dry air blew past my face as I rode my beloved horse towards the old lake at the edge of my father's land. I couldn't recall any of our neighbors who would allow their seven year old ride a horse through the Haafingar mountains, but my father had trained me well. Da always told me that I was riding horse before I learned to walk. I'm not sure how true that is, but some of my earliest memories are of my family's beloved horses and the feeling of freedom I had from riding around our property. Ma didn't love horses as much as Da, or at least, that's what he told me. She was by all accounts, not too happy when he started taking me riding with him as a baby. But she was an understanding and allowed my da to nurture a love of all things equestrian from a very young age.

"Ah, there you are, Princess!" Da shouted with a smile as I arrived at the lake. Da was a tall, muscular man with very short blonde hair and a clean shaved face. He had hazel eyes that would light up whenever someone would let him talk to them about horses, or about his work in legion, which, of course, involved horses. Looking back, the man might have been a little obsessed, but his passion got him a high ranking position in the Imperial Cavalry and a fortune in his homeland.

"Da!" I slid off of my horse's back and ran up to my da, hugging him tightly. "What's for dinner? Why are we eating outside today?" Da let go of me and gave a sheepish smile.

"I thought it might be nice to have a picnic. Besides, I got you one of those sweet rolls you like from the city. We need to talk about something important."

"What is it, Da?" I asked as I reached for the fresh sweet roll laid out on the picnic blanket. Da looked to me for a moment, then to the pond. He seemed lost, and unsure. I had never seen my da look so sad before. He didn't seem to want to face me. It made me worry. "Da?" I crawled over to him and hugged him. "Da, what's wrong?"

"Astrid… Honey, I have been called on to fight. That means, I'm going to have to leave Skyrim potentially… You must stay here. I have arranged for you to stay with Uncle Randolph and Aunt Maeve. You remember them from when they visited last Hearthfire?"

I stared up at my da, unsure of what to say. I felt frozen in place, unable to move from the shock. "I'll go with you, Da. I can swing a sword!" I exclaimed, before springing to my feet and darting to the nearest fallen tree branch to demonstrate my idea of what fighting was. "See, I can fight and go with you."

Da shook his head with a sad smile, "No, baby, you have to stay where you'll be safe. The army fights, I fight, so you can be safe and sound. I have to go to keep the war from moving up to where you could see it. I never want you to see the violence of war. That's why I must go now."

I dropped the make shift sword and sat back down on my knees at the edge of the blanket. "I don't want you to go, Da."

"I know, but I will be home within a year. This change won't be permanent. Consider it an extended visit. And you get to play with your cousin, see a new place, go to Whiterun, there will be fun to be had. And I will be picking you up and taking you back home before you know it. I need you to be brave for these next few months. Can you do that, Baby Girl?"

I wanted to start crying, I'm sure that I did despite my best efforts, but I did my best to contain my tears and put on a brave face. I took a moment to stare at the ground, unsure if I could face Da without crying. After a few moments to collect myself, I looked up at Da again and smiled. "I can be brave The bravest."

"I know. I'm proud of you. I know this is difficult, and frightening, but I swear everything will be ok. This will be my last tour before retirement. Then I'll never have to leave you again." Da assured. "Can I have a hug?" I stood up and stumbled over to Da before practically flopping down into his arms. I hugged him as tightly as my little arms could, as if it could make him stay with me. As if it could make the war go away and leave us alone. I just wanted things to stay the way they were. I didn't want to leave our home, horses, and the mountains. I didn't want my da to leave. It's not that I disliked Uncle Randolph, Aunt Maeve, or Elspeth. They were family, I love them, but I didn't want to be taken away from my da. It had always been just Da and I. My mother had died when I was a baby, so there was nobody else that I had to rely on.

"Da, I just want you to stay with me," I cried, my voice breaking as the tears started to run down my cheeks and onto Da's shirt.

"I know, Baby Girl. I don't want to go… But sometimes we have to do difficult things because they are the right thing to do. I made a promise to protect the people of the Empire. It is my duty, and I must honor that promise. I've also promised you that I will come home and retire. I will honor that promise too. It's important to honor every deal you make, Astrid."

"Why?"

"Because you can't trust someone who doesn't stand by their words, or keep their promises."

"You promise to come back home for me?"

"I promise."

I sniffled and wiped my tears onto my sleeve, "Ok, Da."

* * *

So the month we had left together came to pass as quick as a day, and soon I found myself in a carriage heading towards Whiterun, where I was to be taken home by my aunt and uncle. On the carriage ride, I saw more of Skyrim than I ever had previously. The farthest from home I had ever been was to Solitude below the mountain, but on this trip I saw many new towns and cities, as well as the vast countryside. It was a fairly safe journey, save for the occasional wolf that would try to nip at the horse's ankles. It angered me at first, until the great Clydesdales slammed their mighty hooves down on those wretched mutts. It was a great act of justice, or at least, I saw it as such. So many animals and people see horses as weak. They couldn't be more wrong. Horses are strong, powerful creatures. They just don't give off that impression immediately. I always found myself awestruck at their resilience.

Whiterun was awe inspiring for a child who had never been beyond her family's small farm. The market was bustling with people, and everywhere I looked there was someone running off to complete some errand. All throughout the city, a river ran through. The clear, cold water tasted fresh, especially compared to the stored barrels of water I had been drinking on the trip. There were several kids playing outside, running around the market with a rubber ball or hiding from each other. One child had what looked to be a domesticated wolf following him around as he ran errands for a blacksmith. The intoxicating smell of freshly baked bread filled the air as I stood in the market. I had been to Solitude a few times with my father to visit the temple, though those trips were far and few between. It was still striking to be in a big city, especially without by da.

I wandered through the market in search of my aunt and uncle, who were supposed to be there waiting for me. I knew what they looked like, though I found it hard to recall little details about them to distinguish them from the huge crowds surrounding me. It wasn't until I heard a familiar voice shout out, "Astrid! Over here!"

I looked over towards the voice to see my aunt, uncle, and younger cousin standing at the bread stand, holding bags of groceries. I hurried across the market to them, dodging people and animals walking by in mutual obliviousness to my presence.

"Excuse me, sorry, please move," I muttered as I stumbled along, nearly tripping over a chicken and a maid carrying two buckets of water from the well. I had managed to get across the busy street without getting run over, much to my excitement. It did make me feel a bit cocky, as if I had accomplished something spectacular. I grinned up at my aunt and uncle, who chuckled a little at me.

"Next time, wait for a clearing instead of cutting people off," Aunt Maeve said in slight exasperation.

"But there's so many people walking everywhere at once, there never would've been a clearing," I said, quirking an eyebrow at the idea that this street could be anything but busy at all times of the day.

"Astrid!" Elspeth shouted as she threw her arms around me tightly. "I'm happy you're here, now we can play!"

"You can both play till your hearts content, but only after your chores," Uncle Randolph said with a bout of booming laughter. Uncle Randolph was a tall and muscular Nord man who was five years my father's senior. He had long, slightly curly blonde hair and an unruly beard that went down to his collarbone. His eyes were hazel, like Da's were, but they didn't share Da's enthusiasm for life. Uncle Randolph's demeaner was calmer, almost calculating, but not aggressive by any means. His face was covered in small scars from years of battle, and along his arm was a scar that resembled red roots growing on his skin. Probably the most striking feature about Uncle Randolph was that his right hand had been replaced with an iron prosthetic hand in a permanent grasping position. The iron hand was old, worn, and ever so slightly rusted despite efforts made to prevent it. The hand was secured onto his arm by a cage like sleeve going up his forearm that looked tight and uncomfortable. I found myself wondering what it would be like to lose a hand and was filled with sadness. With only one hand, would I be able to ride horses? Would I be able to follow in my father's footsteps if I lost a hand in my youth? Thinking about the scenario made me thankful for my good health and the fact that I wasn't missing any extremities.

I glanced down to my younger cousin, Elspeth, before hugging her back. "I'm happy to see you too, Elsie."

Elspeth looked up at me with a mischievous grin. She looked like a pixie, waiting to cause some kind of harmless chaos for some unsuspecting passerby. Her blonde curls seemed to bounce with every breath she took, and her blue eyes shimmered with excitement. Elsie seemed as though she had been anxiously awaiting my arrival more so than my aunt and uncle ever could have.

"What do you wanna play when we get to your house?" I asked her.

"Dolls! Did you bring yours? I've been building little doll villages out in the field."

"I could only bring Daciana. I didn't have enough room for any of my other dolls," I explained.

Elsie frowned a little, "You can play with some of my dolls while you're here. I don't mind sharing."

"Thanks, Elsie, but I'll be ok with just mine," I assured her with a pat on the back.

"Don't overwhelm her, Elspeth. Astrid has had a very long journey here, and I'm sure she's very tired and ready to rest," Aunt Maeve spoke. She was a young, short, Nord woman with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. She had a very young face, on top of just being in her early twenties that made people question her age. This seemed to make her more aggressive about appearing grown up, so she always was wearing some lowcut ensemble. She seemed to be perpetually annoyed, unlike when she visited Da and I last time. Perhaps life in Whiterun was not as happy as I thought it would be. Elsie had enough happiness to make up for a village full of depressed people, easily. I had never met anyone who encapsulated the concept of innocence so well. "It is high time we head back to the house, do you agree?"

Uncle Randolph nodded and set his iron hand on my shoulder, "Couldn't agree more. Let's get you girls home." He grabbed Elsie's hand with his other, non metal hand, and led us out of the city carefully, being sure not to let us get lost in the crowd.

* * *

The carriage ride back to Uncle Randolph and Aunt Maeve's farm was short, but pleasant. Elsie and I talked amongst ourselves the whole time, though I was more focused on taking in the landscape. As we headed further north, I could see large, majestic mountains with topped with snow like little hats, and fields upon fields of wild flowers. The most beautiful ones had thousands of little red mountain flowers, but never any others mixed in. I had never seen flowers that pretty before, so they instantly became my new favorite. I stared out into the fields as we passed them by, breathing in the fresh country air that reminded me of home after bouncing from city to city.

When we arrived, I felt as though my temporary home for the next year was going to feel like home soon enough. There was a large, old mansion with intricate wooden carvings of snakes, owls, and bears incorporated into the design. The house had a large, steep roof that appeared perfectly triangular, and a large iron door with my family's crest carved into it. The area around the house was farmland and open fields, with a forest in the back. There was a large barn, and I could swear that somewhere in the distance, I could hear horses. There were at the very least, a good ten chickens, a pen with five pigs, and two cows that lazed about in the grass. Past the small garden, there was a field of endless red mountain flowers. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes on.

"We will work you through your chores tomorrow, but for now, you can just rest," Uncle Randolph explained as the carriage came to a stop. He picked me up out of the carriage and set me down on the ground before doing to same for Elsie and his wife.

"What are those beautiful flowers out there?"

"Oh, those weeds? They're very invasive. Always coming in and smothering our cabbages," Aunt Maeve grumbled. "If you want to pick them, go right ahead. Just make sure to pull the roots out with them so they don't come back as quickly."

"How can anything so beautiful be a weed?" I asked. I knelt down by a patch of them growing by the walkway to the house and picked a good handful of them to take with me into the house.

"They get in the way of important crops. Nothing else will grow when they get in there."

"Oh… I still think they're absolutely lovely." I began weaving the flowers into a little flower crown, adding in the occasional blade of grass for a pop of color. Elsie had plopped down next to me and scooted close enough for the two of us to be cheek to cheek. She seemed intrigued with my work, so I demonstrated how to tie the flowers together slower for her. Once the crown was finished, I set it on Elsie's head. "There, all done."

"Thank you!" Elsie squealed happily before jumping up and running up to the door where her parents were waiting. "Come on, Astrid, I want to show you our room!"

"We hope you don't mind sharing a room with Elsie for the time being. We want to keep the guest room open in case someone else visits," Uncle Randolph explained.

"I don't mind sharing with Elsie."

"I'm glad to hear that," He replied as he opened the door for us. Elsie immediately darted inside and ran down the hallway in excitement. The inside of the house was large and spacious, with tall ceilings that formed a sharp triangle. All of the rooms seemed to be connected, and only three that I saw had doors. The rest only had an empty doorway if that.

I slipped off my boots and set them down by the front door with the rest of the shoes before walking out of the mudroom and into the large family room. The floors were all polished wood, with fine rugs placed every so often to keep your feet warm. The rugs were all red and gold with intricate designs of flowers, animals, and weapons on them. Along the walls were large, ornate tapestries depicting classic stories. The largest one depicted Ysgramor and the five hundred Companions. The detail on the tapestry was thorough down to the most miniscule detail. It was impressive, especially considering the tapestry covered the entire back wall of the parlor and almost reached the ceiling. There were other less detailed tapestries throughout the house, though they were far smaller. My favorite was of a little one in the dining room depicting the Hero of Kvatch riding on a gorgeous Cyrodilic horse with a purplish black coat and black mane. The hero was wielding a sword and fighting waves of daedra with the help of his horse companion. The details were a bit worn, and there were some loose threads, but it was still the best piece in the house to me.

The dining room had a large oak table with enough seats for a whole village, and laid out on it was a basket filled with fruit, bread, and cheese wedges. I looked to Aunt Maeve and Uncle Randolph to see if I was allowed to have some.

"Go ahead, Dear," Uncle Randolph said with a chuckle. "Don't have too much. Supper will be ready in a few short hours."

"Thank you." I replied before grabbing a piece of goat cheese and a shiny, red apple. I nibbled on my snack as I walked around the dining room and then the parlor, taking in the layout of the house.

"Astrid! Come on, come on, let's play!" Elsie cried out from the back room at the end of the hallway. Her battle cry snapped me out my trance, making me wonder how long I had been standing in the family room staring at a horse figurine. I picked my knapsack back up and ran to the back room.

"No running in the house!" Aunt Maeve shouted, but by the time she managed to blurt that out I had already arrived at my destination. She huffed in irritation. "Helena, what is this?"

A mousy maid with strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a messy braid seemed to be stumbling over her words as she picked up a spilled laundry basket. "I'm- I'm sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry, m'lady. It won't happen again." The maid seemed to be about thirteen years old, and I couldn't help but wonder where her parents were. It made me wonder if my lifestyle was abnormal, and if having a job at a young age was normal for most people. My da never has mentioned working to me, other than that wants me to pursue an education so I can have a good paying job in the future. I always assumed I would go to a military academy to become an officer like my father and uncle did. I never considered any other possibility being on the table.

"If you don't clean up this mess immediately, you're in the barn tonight," Aunt Maeve scoffed coldly.

"Maeve… That's not fair. She's young, and learning. A growing girl shouldn't have to sleep in the cold, don't you agree?" Uncle Randolph interjected and offered Helena a hand up. Helena accepted his hand and stood up before picking up her basket and scampering away.

Aunt Maeve glared at Uncle Randolph before rolling her eyes and walking away, "Do what you want, Randolph. I'll be in the library until dinner. And tell that bitch not to burn my meat this time. Yeah, I noticed."

"You're overreacting, not everything is about you, Little Girl."

"Yeah, I know." Aunt Maeve stormed off angrily to somewhere else in the house. Uncle Randolph rolled his eyes and picked up a towel that Helena had forgotten before walking off, presumably to look for her.

I had been unpacking my knapsack and suit case during this exchange. Elsie had gone uncharacteristically silent, though as soon as her parents left, she got back to being talkative.

"Oh, your clothes can go here. You get the right side of the dresser because you sleep on the right bed, and I sleep in the left bed. See, all my bears are on my bed. I got you an extra blanket, because it gets cold sometimes. But our house is really warm because we have a big Big" Elsie spread her arms out to demonstrate, "Big fireplace! And there's not many doors so the cold doesn't get trapped."

"Does Aunt Maeve not like the maid?" I asked as I refolded my clothes and put them into the dresser. I had brought my favorite fine red dress for special occasions, work clothes, and a school dress with me.

"No, she doesn't like Helena very much. She wants to take care of the house by herself, but Daddy said she we have enough money for her not to have to. Mama never liked Helena though," Elsie explained as she flopped down on her bed and hugged a teddy bear. "I like Helena, but I think she should leave."

"Why?"

"She's sad here, and Mama is mean to her. I heard that she can't go home to her parents though. Mama wants her gone, but Daddy doesn't want her on the street," Elsie rolled onto her side to face me. "People don't notice me a lot. I just listen a lot. I'm happy you're here. Now I have someone to play with."

"I'm happy to have someone to play with too. None of my neighbors' children are old enough or young enough to play with me at home," I said as I finished putting my things away. I crawled onto my bed and leaned against the wall with Daciana in my arms. She had been a gift from my father for my fifth birthday. The doll had been made in Cyrodil, where he had gotten her before I was born. My mother, who's name was also Daciana, had been pregnant with me at the time, and he decided to go ahead and get the doll for when I was older. I combed my fingers through Daciana's long, brown, curly hair absent mindedly as I thought about my new home. It was overwhelming to be in a new place, but if it had to be done, this was a beautiful place to be. I missed my da greatly, but I knew I was safe with a family that loved me, which helped ease the stress of the separation. All I hoped for was that the war would end soon so Da could come home. Perhaps we could even visit Uncle Randolph longer, with him here too.

I glanced up from Daciana to observe Elsie, who had already fallen asleep for a short nap. I couldn't blame her. I had had enough excitement for one day as well. I looked out the window by my bed for one last look at the endless fields of red mountain flowers before lying down to take a nap myself.


End file.
